Sina to launch OTT messaging app

Chinese microblogging giant Sina is planning to launch an OTT messaging app to compete with the likes of Tencent’s WeChat, LINE and WhatsApp, reports the Financial Times (FT).

Sina’s CEO, Charles Chao, told the FT that the company is launching the messaging service this week to complement its Weibo microblog, China’s equivalent to Twitter. The new product will have chat, news feeds and pictures with a greater emphasis on group messaging than Weibo.

The success of Tencent’s WeChat/Weixin has impacted the popularity of Weibo. Tencent claims its messaging service has 195 million monthly active users and 300 million registered users.

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Tim Ferguson

Tim joined Mobile World Live in August 2011 and works across all channels, with a particular focus on apps. He came to the GSMA with five years of tech journalism experience, having started his career as a reporter... More